canda



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

P. E. GANDA.

CATCH FOR GAR DOOR BRACKETS.

No. 427,297. Patented May-6, 1890.

+26 BY g ATTORNEYS.

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2 Sheets 'Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

I". E OANDA. CATCH FOR GAR DOOR BRACKETS.

No. 427,297. Patented May 6, 1890.

ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES FFICE.

FERDINAND E. CANDA, OE NEW YORK, N.

CATCH FOR CAR-DOOR BRACKETS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 427,297, dated May 6, 1890.

Application filed August 15, 1889. Serial No. 320,902. (No model.) I

To alltuhom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FERDINAND E. CANDA, of New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Catch for Oar-Door Brackets, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The ordinary method of mounting freightcar doors is such that if freight becomes lodged against the inner face of the door it is at times extremely difficult to open the door, inasmuch as the shoes will bind heavily against the bottom door-track, and in the case of cattle-cars it frequently happens that the excrement freezes and the moving of the door becomes a matter of great difficulty. It is to overcome these obj ectionsthatl have designed the catch forming the subj ect-matter of this application, the invention consisting, essentially, of a gravity-catch pivotally connected to a bracket arranged for connection with a car-door, the catch being adapted to engage the ordinary bot-tom door-track, which in this case becomes a keeper-rail, all as willbehereinafter more fully described, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures and letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side view of afreight-car door, representing the same as it appears when provided with my improved catch. Fig. 2 is an edge view of the door, the sill and a portion of the flooring being shown in section. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail edge view of the catch; and Fig. 4 is a face view thereof, a portion of the keeper-rail being broken away.

In the drawings, 10 represents a car-door of the form ordinarily employed in connection with cattle-cars, such door being suspended by hangers 11 upon a top door-track 12. Instead of employing the ordinary form of shoe in connection with the door 10, I provide a bracket 13, which is bent inward toward the sill 14, below the lower edge of the door, the lower end of the bracket 13 being bifurcated to receive a gravity-catch 15, which is supported by a pivot pin or bolt 16 and arranged to engage the keeper-rail 17, which said rail is mounted in the ordinary manner.

Although any proper form of catch might be employed, I prefer to form the catch with a shoulder a, which rests upon the upper edge of the rail 17, and with abearing-face b, which abuts against the inner side face of said rail, a handle or knob 0 extending outward from the rail.

Any proper form of catch or look for holding the door in the closed position might be employed; but I prefer sucha catch as the one shoun in the drawings, which consists of a horizontal rod 20, having catch-hooks 21,that engage keepers that are secured to the carsides, the rod being provided with a hasp 22, which is apertured to receive a staple 23, the hasp being retained in the position in which it is shown in Fig. 1 by a hook 24, that is chained to the door and arranged so that it may be passed through the staple outside of the hasp.

In order that the door may be conveniently handled, I secure thereto a vertical rod 30, which is in the form of an expanded U.

In operation, should the door be jammed, owing to the causes hereinbefore set forth, it may be quickly freed, after the books 21 have been thrown from their keepers by throwing up the gravity-catches 15, so that they will be freed from engagement with the keeperrail, and then grasping the rod 30 and drawing the door directly outward, the lower edges or faces d at this time resting upon the upper edge of the rail 17. The lower edge of the door having been pulled out, as above described, the door may be shifted along to a position so as to clear the entrance to the car. \Vhen it is desired to close the car, the door is simply adjusted to a position over the caropening and the lower end of the door forced inward, whereby the catches 15 will drop to the position in which they are shown in the drawings.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patcut-- 1. The combination, with a bracket formed with an inwardly-bent lower end and arranged for connection with a car-door, of a gravitycatch pivotally connected to the lower end thereof, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a bracket formed.

connection with a car-door, of a gravity-catch pivotally mounted between the members of the lower end of the bracket, substantially as described.

3. The combination,with a bracket formed with an inwardly-bent and bifurcated lower end and arranged for connection with a cardoor, of a gravity-catch pivotally mounted between the members of the said bifurcated end, substantially as described.

4:. The combination,with a bracket arranged for connection with a car-door, of a gravitycatch pivotally and formed with a shoulder a and abearing- I 5 face 12, substantially as described.

connected with the bracket, 

